Ask a Manager

A reader asks: Late last year, when my company had some turnover and we needed a high performer in right away, I weighed the pros and cons and hired a friend, “Mike,” who I had previously managed. The benefits to the business (at the time) outweighed the risk of jeopardizing our friendship. My issue now […]

A reader writes: Today I had my first 1:1 with a new employee. At the time he was hired, we were filling two roles, one mid-level and one entry-level, and they both started last week. He did not interview well enough for the mid-level position, but we offered him the entry-level role and he accepted. […]

A reader writes: I’m the head of a small organization. A year ago, we hired a new person to fill a newly created position. Jane has 15 years of experience and knows what she’s doing in her field. She is finding problems and issues in many areas. She is gracious about these issues, doesn’t point […]

A reader writes: I promoted one of my employees to manage her department about 10 weeks ago. This is her first management job and she has done an amazing job in her new role — implementing much-needed changes and efficiencies while gaining the respect of her entire team. This was verified in a recent anonymous […]

A reader writes: I’m an executive. One of my direct reports (a manager) is frustrated that his team doesn’t acknowledge his input/skills/expertise. It’s as though he wants his team to give him positive feedback and validation. My feeling is that it’s very unlikely to happen. Even great managers don’t often hear their team say, “Thanks […]

A reader writes: One of the people I supervise is a good, solid employee. He does his work on time and to deadline, juggles multiple projects, and supervises some temporary workers. I have no complaints! However, he has a terrible habit of being on his phone during larger presentations and trainings. On two recent occasions […]

A reader writes: I run a seven-person office. One of my direct reports is both not very experienced and not very good at his job, which requires extremely specific legal knowledge and a strong attention to detail. Despite this, he’s got an irritating habit of positioning himself as a subject matter expert around the office […]

A reader writes: I’ve worked with a male colleague who is close in age to me (I am female) for several years, and last year I was promoted to manage him and others. We have a great working relationship and complementary skill sets; people have remarked on what a great team we make. We have […]

A reader writes: My company hired a new person on my team. He was scheduled to start on a Monday but he pushed back a week at the last minute, and he didn’t notify us until minutes before he was expected in. The next Monday he didn’t come in, and no one could get in […]